Monthly Archives: August 2012

In Genesis 1 in the Holy Bible, you will read that fish is one of the earliest food that God has provided us with. How wise of Him! Fish is packed full with vitamins and minerals, especially omega-3 fatty acid which is known to lower heart attack and wards off many illnesses. Pediatricians will also advise you to give your young children lots of fish as Omega-3 is important for brain and eye development too and, hence, smarter kids!

Braised, baked, grilled, steamed, fried… I love fish done in any way. However, the No. 1 rule is that the fish has to be fresh. There is none cooking method that can musk the taste of stale fish. If no one touches the fish that you have painstakingly prepared, you know that the fish you bought has past its prime.

When buying fish, always look for bright, clear eyes and skin. I’ll also press the meat to make sure that it’s firm. Checking for bright-red gills is also crucial. Dull ones mean you can give them a miss and move on to another stall.

Made this fish dish for dinner last night. All that was left were bones – which means the fish is fresh and everyone likes the way it’s done. Here’s the recipe :

Eryngil Mushroom is also known as King Mushroom or King Trumpet Mushroom. My family likes it for its texture. When cooked, it is like biting into braised abalone. However, it is quite tasteless by itself so it is necessary to season it with some sauces & spices before cooking.

The first time we had Eryngil mushrooms was when we were on a tour in Taiwan some years back. It was cut into cubes and seasoned with a mixture of herbs and salt and grilled on a hot plate. A tad too salty but they were actually quite nice. At home, we prefer them braised.

Other ingredients :
a bunch of xiao bai cai, washed & cut (separate
stalks & leaves)
a dessertspoon of wolfberry
a few slices of carrots
some minced garlic, divided into 2 portions
some light soya sauce
oil for frying

Method :
1) Heat oil in pan. Brown one portion of garlic lightly in oil and toss in seasoned eryngil mushrooms.
2) Stir fry mushrooms until colour changes, about 5-6mins. It should look like cooked abalone. Add wolfberries and very little hot water. Stir-fry for another 1 min. Dish up and put aside for later use.

4) Add in the leaves and stir fry for another 2 mins. Season with light soya sauce and drizzle some hot water on it. When vegetables are cooked, dish up on a plate.
5) Arrange the cooked Eryngil Mushrooms on the vegetables.
6) Serve immediately.

Stir-fry Xiao Bai Chye with Eryngii Mushrooms

The Eyrngii Mushrooms can also be stir fried together with other types of fresh mushrooms like Shiitake, Enoki, Oyster mushrooms, etc and served as a dish on its own. Xiao Bai Cai can also be substituted with other vegetables like snow peas, french beans, cai xin, spinach, nai bai, etc.

I have half a chinese yam (huai shan) left and decided to use it for tonight’s soup. My family loves cooked huai shan, a nutritious tuber. My brother, who’s a TCM practitioner, told me that this tuber is extolled for it’s many medicinal benefits and therefore a good food to include in our diet. It’s medicinal properties and various ways to consume them can be found in many TCM related websites. One such website is http://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com

Method :
1) Blanched chicken in hot water twice. Wash & leave aside.
2) Boil 1.5 litre of water in pot.
3) Put in all ingredients and bring to a boil.
4) Lower heat, cover the pot and let it simmer for 1.5 hrs.
5) Remove any visible fats from the soup before serving.

I love coconut water, especially on a hot summer day. I think no other drinks can beat the tropical heat here in hot & humid Singapore better than cold natural coconut water straight from its husk. Not only it is low in carbohydrates, sugars and fat, it is a good source of natural electrolyte to replenish lost moisture and minerals of a dehydrated body quickly.

Coconut Chicken Soup

I was first introduced to this plain looking soup in a popular restaurant in Shenzhen, China. It was the main item on their menu. To my surprise, the soup was really flavourful. It has never crossed my mind that using just two simple ingredients, i.e. chicken & natural coconut water, can produce such a tasty & nutritious soup. Best of all, it’s additive-free.

P/S: I bought the coconut water together with the flesh of one young coconut from a wet market stall that sells grated coconut for a mere SGD1.40. The kampong chicken is from NTUC Fairprice Supermarket and it costs less than $7. So for less than SGD9, you can make an inexpensive pot of nutritious soup for the whole family 🙂

Method :
1) Blanched the chicken in hot water twice. Drain and put aside.
2) Boil the coconut water.
3) Add chicken, coconut flesh and ginger into the boiling soup.
4) Skim off excess fats in the soup and leave it to simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

You may also add one or all of these ingredients to the soup :
– Chinese Yam (Huai Shan – 淮山)
– Corn
– Water Chestnuts
– Any fresh leafy vegetables

In the restaurant I went, it is served steam-boat style. It is recommended to savour the soup as it is first, and thereafter add any other ingredients to the remaining soup.

I learnt how to make this spicy fermented pickle from my Korean friends and so this is truly their home-made version. It’s a must-have condiment in every Korean household and is served at almost every meal.

I find it such a handy pickle to have around as it can be eaten in many ways – as a side dish with other dishes, in tofu/vege/seafood/meat soup for a spicy kick, in omelette/savoury pancakes or even in fried rice, etc. etc. Many health websites advocate the consumption of kimchi. Not only it is rich in Vitamin C, the fermentation process also encourages the growth of probiotic bacteria, which aids in sustaining balance within the intestinal tract. In any way, health benefits aside, we simply love it!

HAPPY KIMCHI MAKING !

Firstly, prepare :

1) 1 large chinese cabbage, wash all the leaves and pat dry with kitchen towels.

2) Sprinkle some coarse salt around the bottom of a large bowl. Arrange some leaves, clockwise, on it and sprinkle some salt all over the leaves. Lay a second layer, clockwise again, on top of the first layer and sprinkle some salt all over them again. Repeat the process until all the cabbage leaves are done.

3) Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 3 hours (moisture will be removed from the leaves and they will shrivel after that).

4) In the meantime, boil some rice with some water to get 500ml of gruel. Drain the water and leave it aside to cool. Discard the cooked rice.